


Ferry Boats

by kashmir



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-14
Updated: 2006-03-14
Packaged: 2017-10-09 02:34:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/82032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kashmir/pseuds/kashmir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a difference between love and being in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ferry Boats

**Author's Note:**

> Written in IM with [](http://holycitygirl.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://holycitygirl.livejournal.com/)**holycitygirl**.

Mark was back at the hospital again. The third time that week.

It was only Tuesday.

Addison ducked into a (luckily) vacant room, hoping Mark hadn't spotted her. She breathed a sigh of relief when she caught a glimpse of his shadow making it's way down the hall. Addison put a hand to her head. With every hour that went by, it was getting harder and harder to deny what she felt in her heart and her gut.

She was still in love with Mark. But there was no way she could put Derek through that again. Because while she might not be in love with him anymore, she would always love him.

Addison sighed and made her way out of the room and back to work.

....

Derek watched as his ex-best friend walked past the room his wife had just entered. He almost called out to Mark, to let him know where she was hiding. Derek wasn't sure why she was either. It was painfully obvious every time she spoke of him, of New York that she still loved him. Loved him in a way Derek knew she hadn't ever loved him.

Loved him in a way Derek had loved Meredith.

Derek watched his wife exit the room and knew what he had to do. His mind was made up.

....

Derek was waiting for her on the porch of the trailer when she came home that evening. Sipping from a bottle of Heineken and wearing what she had always teasingly called his 'serious doctor face.'

She didn't find it so amusing when it was aimed at her.

"Addy. We need to talk."

....

Mark was at Joe's when she found him. He was nursing a Jack and Coke, which had become his nightly ritual in Seattle. Gotten to know Joe fairly well, too. He winced as he took a sip. Had probably gotten to know the bartender a little too well.

He turned at the feather light touch on his shoulder and suddenly, he had an armful of Addison.

"Addison? What the hell-"

Whatever he was about to say was cut off when she clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Just let me talk Mark," She took her hand away when he nodded, his eyes still wide and shocked. Addison stroked a finger down the cut on his cheek. "He let me go, Mark. Told me he couldn't stand to see two people he loved not being together when they are so obviously meant to be. He also said that he knows he hurt me, too, with everything that happened with Meredith but that's what made him realize that he couldn't begrudge us our happiness."

"Addison... what are you saying?" Mark still looked dumbstruck.

"I'm free. I mean, Derek told me he'd always love me but that he hadn't been in love with me in a long time," She got a goofy grin on her face and smoothed his hair back. "I was also instructed to tell you he is still mad at you but one day, he will forgive you. But he has the right to hold everything over your head for a long, long time."

For the first time since coming to Seattle, Mark felt himself smiling. Really smiling.

"Yeah. That sounds like Derek. Cocky sonofabitch," He wrapped Addison up tight in his arms and lowered his lips to hers.

....

The news was everywhere within Seattle Grace by the following morning. Addison had put in her resignation and Richard had refused. Then he'd offered Mark a position, making him an offer that only a fool would refuse.

The locker room was buzzing with talk and speculation about the soon to be ex-wife of McDreamy. And what it might mean for a certain intern.

Meredith found herself nervous and jittery and was suddenly thrust back to last year, when everyone had found out about her and Derek. Felt like everyone's eyes were on her as she pulled on her scrubs. Tried desperately to ignore the whispers and conversations going on around her.

Even Izzie and Alex were looking at her funny. George still wasn't talking to her and Cristina was. Well, Cristina was Cristina.

....

As they made their way down the hall to start rounds, Meredith hissed to Cristina, "Should I say something to him?"

"Who? McDreamy?" Cristina asked as she shrugged into her white coat.

"Yes! Who else?" Meredith hissed.

"It apparently jut happened, Mer. Maybe you should wait a bit. The body isn't even cold yet, ya know?" Cristina said with her usual bluntness and made her way into the room to present.

Meredith hung back for a second then followed her.

....

Three weeks later, Derek still hadn't said anything to her. Oh, he was polite and professional and nice and Meredith was ready to kick him in the shins.

She started bugging Cristina in the locker room again, after their shift was over one Wednesday night.

"So, should I say something? It's been three weeks. I mean, why else would he have left her or let her go or whatever if he didn't want me back? He told me that one time that he missed me and then -" Cristina cut her off, looking up from where she had been putting on her shoes.

"Look, Mer. I love you and all that emotional crap but just calm down. If he still likes you, he'll tell you. If he wants you, he wants you. Whatever. I thought you were over him anyway," Cristina eyed her and Meredith turned to shut her locker, avoiding her gaze.

"I... was. When I thought he was going to stay with Addison," She turned around to face Cristina and her eyes were a mixture of hope and hurt. "Now... I'm not so sure."

....

She was in the elevator, ready to press the button for the ground floor when he came flying in just as the doors shut.

He gave her a look, smiled and adjusted his messenger bag on his shoulder. She just raised an eyebrow and leaned against the wall.

For a whole minute.

Then she turned to face him.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

He looked at her then glanced back and watched the floors ticked by. Waited as a few people get on.

"Tell you what, Meredith?" He asked, voice low.

"You know what, Derek. Don't be coy. Why didn't you say something to me days ago? Mark and Addison are moving into together! It's all over the hospital!" Her voice had started as a whisper but grew to almost a shout. The two nurses looked back at them, then turned back around to leave the elevator when the doors opened.

Derek sighed, knowing the latest McDreamy and Meredith news would be spread within minutes from the morgue to the pharmacy to the OR's.

He looked at Meredith and took a deep breath. "Because, Meredith. I didn't want to jump _right_ back into something with you. Even though I still have feelings for you. I always have. It just didn't seem right."

He turned back to watch the floors. She stood there a moment, quiet.

"You did, Derek? Always?" She asked in a tiny voice, not looking at him but at the floor.

He looked at her and then turned to cup her face in his hands.

"Always, Meredith," Then he stole her breath, covering her mouth with his and kissing her for what felt like the first time.

...

They never noticed the elevator door opening at the ground level. Didn't notice Izzie, Cristina, Burke and Alex, along with a smattering of other people they worked with on a daily basis standing there. Watching and smiling.

They didn't notice everything until Alex whistled and started to clap.

"About time!" He shouted, which earned him a disapproving look from pretty much everyone, including the Chief who happened to be walking by at that moment.

Derek and Meredith just looked at one another and smiled.

She picked her bag up from where it had fallen on the floor and he slung an arm around her as they walked through the lobby, amid cat calls (from Alex) and whistles (from Cristina).

They made their way out to the parking lot and as they approached his car, he leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"So, have I ever told you I have this thing for ferry boats?"


End file.
